Paparazzi caught a young man sneaking out of a beautiful young Japanese pop-star's apartment one recent morning, and the girl was so ashamed of her own behavior she took it out on her hair!

Minegishi Minami of the Japanese super-group AKB48 let her boyfriend sleep over the other night. While a 20-year-old woman getting laid isn't headline news in these parts, the pop star's sexual proclivities were a BIG deal in Japan!

Her actions angered her fans and shamed her bandmates to such a degree, it seems, that Minegishi decided to shave her head in shame!!

Press PLAY on the pretty disturbing video (above) to see her heartbreaking apology and read the translation (below)!

Instead of telling her fans to stay out of her bedroom or even just saying "Sorry, my bad!" and moving on, this lovely lady cut off all of her beautiful hair!

UGH! That's so sad she felt the need to do that!!

Can you imagine if pop stars from the States and Europe behaved similarly? They'd all be bald, LOLz!

I’m very sorry to have caused enormous worry to members, fans, staffs, my families and a lot of other people with the article in the weekly magaizne that is published today.

(Deep Bow)

As the 1st generation member of AKB48, the group that has formed in 2005, it’s my responsibility to always behave as a good role model to juniors. I deeply regret what I did this time. It was a thoughtless deed and I was completely lacking self-awareness as a senior member.

My brain blanked out and I’m still unable to figure out what to do, what I can do. But after I saw the magazine a little ago, I couldn’t help but doing something. And I decided to shave my head without consulting any member or staff at my agency.

Although I don’t think I would be forgiven by doing this, the first thing that I went through my head was that “I don’t want to leave AKB48.”

This is a place where my dear members, who I spent my blossom of youth together, are. And it’s unimaginable to even think about leaving the group where I’m with so many wonderful and sweet fans.

I understand it’s wishful thinking, but if it’s possible, I would like to still be AKB48′s Minegishi Minami.

This is all my fault.

I’m truly sorry.

I will leave my hereafter to the hands of Akimoto-sensei and management.

Though I haven’t been able to tidy my mind up, but I just wanted to tell my current feeling to you.

72 comments to “Japanese Pop Idol Shaves Her Head In SHAME After A Sex Scandal!”

I have great respect for Miichan for showing her sincere apologies. Shaving your hair may seem crazy in the west, but in the East it is a great sign of apology and willingness to start anew. For an idol who obviously will rely a lot on looks, this is a pretty big deal. Unfortunately the contract for AKB idols clearly states that you are not allowed to date or participate in sexual activity. A lot probably do secretly, so it's a shame she got caught. She's a very respected member, and has been in AKB since the 1st gen. I hope she is more motivated to reach senbatsu now she is demoted.

You can thank all the sexist men/sexist society out there for this…there is a WAR on women people and it is serious….Thanks to the outdated male perception that men who are free are cool and virile and the women who are free are not- this is what happens…another reason we have to fight this double standard and this war.

"Instead of telling her fans to stay out of her bedroom or even just saying "Sorry, my bad!" and moving on…"
Do you not even see some parallels here? I don't even understand how you can type this. You cannot seem to let a lot of sex scandals go even when everyone else, including those involved have long moved on.

This just proves that the "no love life" rule in kpop and jpop are only hurting the older idols. 7 years is a long time for a girl (who is now a woman) to go without forming any romantic relationship, and she shouldn't have to feel ashamed for doing it at her age.While I understand asian countries are a little more conservative in their premarital relations, no one should have to feel this way. Her response shows how all of this shaming creates an unstable mindset. And now the news is that her company has demoted her within the group because of her actions, so she is constantly being shamed for such a petty act.

Give the poor girl a break, she is in a hard time in her life. First she is discovering who she is as a woman and what she wants in a significant other. Then she is dealing with the fact that she has to be perfect and virginal in every aspect of her life (except for the music videos they star in.)

As in the Japan that produces some of the weirdest porn out there? I'm not understanding why she got so much backlash for having a boy spend the night. You'd think they'd have more important things to worry about. Poor girl. She shouldn't have had to answer to anyone for what she does in the comfort of her own home, especially since it's not hurting anyone.

Re: geenuhyup –
7 years is a long time for a girl (who is now a woman) to go without forming any romantic relationship, and she shouldn't have to feel ashamed for doing it at her age.While I understand asian countries are a little more conservative in their premarital relations, no one should have to feel this way. Her response shows how all of this shaming creates an unstable mindset. And now the news is that her company has demoted her within the group because of her actions, so she is constantly being shamed for such a petty act.
Give the poor girl a break, she is in a hard time in her life. First she is discovering who she is as a woman and what she wants in a significant other. Then she is dealing with the fact that she has to be perfect and virginal in every aspect of her life (except for the music videos they star in.)
Exactly.. Idols have feelings and sexual desires just like everybody else. Idols are probably going to live through life feeling guilty for having sex, or feeling paranoid when they are with their partner, even well after their graduation from AKB. It's terribly sad and this incident is proof that it does take its toll.

I wonder if Kristen Stewart got the urge to cut off all of her hair (a la Britney Spears) after the paparazzi caught her red handed cheating on Robert Pattinson last year. Never know what happens behind closed doors.

At least this Japanese girl wasn't cheating on her boyfriend like Kristen Stewart was. I guess she knows how Kristen felt last year. I'm sure there are "haterz" over in Japan just like here in America. Maybe there is a "haterz support group" for pop stars and other celebrities run by a guy like Dr. Drew … the celebrity rehab guy.

Her alleged boyfriend is also a japanese idol from a boy band called GENERATIONS and his agency's statement regarding the report is that his private life is his own business (i.e. he's free do date anyone). Why can't she also date whoever she wants!!! She's twenty years old for god's sake!!! Two months ago one of her bandmates had to left the group because she was also caught leaving from her boyfriend's places after spending the night there!!! It's very sad but I am pretty sure that she has no option but to leave the group because I'm pretty sure her agency will make her withdrew from the group Her agency should let her date freely too!!

Mii-chan shaved her beautiful hair as an act of remorse, its a way to start anew and also maybe to apeace her angry wotas in Japan (since idols are supposed to be pure, im sure a lot of them are angry at her and might want her kicked out of AKB like Nacchan and Yone-chan)

Mii-chan is strong and im sure she's gonna enter the media senbatsu this year since a lot of her fans and people who arent their fans are supporting her.

I don't understand. What did she do wrong? She had sex at 20 years old? What's wrong with that and why is it anyone else's business? If she had a contract that said she couldn't date, that's what's wrong. They are trying to tell a grown woman how to live her life.

First of all, Minegishi Minami (nicknamed Miichan) slept over the Shirahama Alan's house, not the other way around. A minor nitpick maybe, but it just goes to show how little thought you put into this article before posting it.

Second, from what we know, THEY DID NOT HAVE SEX. Shirahama went on record saying that they are just good friends, and Miichan only said that she slept over, not that they had sex or are even in a relationship. Whether you want to personally assume whether or not they had sex is up to you, but to report that they did as an absolute fact is tasteless, rude, and poor journalism.

Finally, the last thing Miichan needs is a sensationalist article like this one using her just as an example of how "wacky" Japan is. You do not understand their culture, nor do you understand the Idol industry, so commenting on it with the mindset of a standard American only helps to give people the wrong idea about her and her work.

What Miichan needs right now is support. I do appreciate you calling her beautiful, because she most certainly is, but that's the only positive about this article.

omg…so (hopefully) she had an orgasm?? so what?? wtf is wrong with that? i'd only shave my head if i DIDN'T get to blast off. actually, i'd shave the guys's head! people need to just get OVER themselves and the hang ups with sex!! come ON people!!

My poor Miichan.. It wasn't even confirmed that it was her boyfriend. Platonic friendships do exist, but fans throw a fit just seeing female idols with someone of the opposite sex. She certainly could have slept with him, but it's possible that they were simply friends. Either way, I'm supporting MIichan through this emotionally distressing time for her. PS, in Japanese culture, shaving of the head is a way to express guilt.

and she is from the same country where you can buy girls used panties in a vending machine…WHAT THE HOLY hell??!!?? and SHE is apologizing??!!?? if i was her i'd be getting it tattooed on my forehead that i enjoy sex!

idols from groups like AKB48 can't be seen doing anything with men. they're marketed as virgin sex objects for lonely wotas who can't get women so something like this makes the wotas feel like she has been cheating on them (they think they own the girls or they're their girlfriends). The girls are shamed and bashed until they leave the group or kicked out right away.

This is terrible! I realized that Japan isn't one for scandals like these but this is just terrible. I highly doubt she did this voluntarily. She was also demoted to trainee level, after being in the group for 8 years.

Okay white people need to stop saying "this is how it's done in the East." No. That's now how things are done in the East. How stupid are you to just blindly justify this kind of slut shaming? Do you really think that she wanted to shave her hair? Or be seen in such a pitiful state? This is a cruel punishment coming from her superiors, and Miichan is not at fault here.
A company should not be able to rule over someone's life this way. They shouldn't be able to have no dating policies. The power they have over these girls' lives is just disgusting and outrageous.
I haven't seen this done to any male jpop groups. I don't see her boyfriend, another idol, being shamed for his actions.
This is clearly thanks to the sexist world we live in.
Equal rights my ass.

Re: themundane –
do you actually think all of japan is like that??? nine times out of ten you'd be cast out as a leper in japan if anyone found out you enjoyed things like tentacle porn. this ordeal alone proves how ridiculously conservative the country is and how antiquated its ideals are in comparison to the west. to think that everyone in japan is into "odd proclivities" based on heavily-filtered hearsay is pretty much racism. so.

The problem is that the creepy lonely otaku market AKB48 sells stuff to in Japan wouldn't buy AKB48 stuff if they aren't viewed as pure and innocent, so from the group's standpoint they likely told her to either go through with this or leave. So while "telling her fans to stay out of her bedroom or even just saying 'Sorry, my bad!' " should fix it, the nature of the market she is selling stuff to wouldn't accept such an apology, and would stop buying her stuff because she no longer appeals to them because they value the image of purity and innocence, and if she was still in AKB48 without some big action, they would view the group as a whole as less too and stop buying their stuff. These otaku might be creepy, but they tend to buy lots of merchandise because of their fantasies based on projected images of idol groups like this, and they are a very unforgiven market when something goes wrong.

Re: what – Omg shut up. Men don't care if women sleep around. It's other women that condone it and call other women sluts for doing so. And on another note, women are far worse than men. I went clubbing in SPain and spoke to a few girls who had had sex with MULTIPLE men in one night (*cue all the women to say how degrading and wrong this is*).

Now I'm a huge fan of AKB48 so let me just clear some things up. She went over his apartment ands stayed there overnight. There's no spoken or written evidence to imply that they have had any kind of sexual relations.

All we know if that she stayed over his house, the sex is only implied. AKB48 has a strict no-boyfriend rule. Many members have been kicked out of the group in the past because of it but Miichan is a rare exception because she is a 1st generation member and has been part of the group since the start.

Not only did she shave her head but management demoted her from her team (Team B) away from her friends! I really do feel bad for her because you can tell that she really regrets it. A lot of people have been hating and saying that she should have been kicked out of AKB altogether. I'm going to continue supporting her, though. Ganbare~, Miichan!

I am Japanese and I tell you. This is not what happens to pop stars in Japan!! She wants attention that's why she is doing this to her. But in reality, who cares!! Who is this girl? AKB48 is a strange popular idol group only for kids and geeks. No one cares if she had slept with the guy. (Only geek funs get mad) AKB48 stays in the top of iTune charts because geeks buy their albums a lot. Their music sucks and no one can sing well. whatever!!

great respect? she did a good job? like are you people mad now too?
SO WAHT IF SHE DATES? shes 20 for christ's sake, it's not a crime to date someone. but she signed up for this? YOU CANT SIGN UP TO BE VIOLATED, OR HAVE YOUR BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY, ITS AGAINST THE LAW. cultural differences? LAST TIME I CHECKED EMOTIONALLY TORMENTING SOMEONE IS UNACCEPTABLE, EVERYWHERE. people need to get their shit straight. this is DISGUSTING. they punish her in a manner and fashion that is absolutely disgracing, inhuman and unacceptable. if this is the idol culture in japan, it needs to vanish asap.

Not really. It's a BIG deal for her group, AKB48, because their producer wants the girls to be "clean". Their fans, many of whom are men around 30, are loyal only when their worshipped idol is a virgin. I'd say this is sickness.

The problem is that her market won't buy her stuff once she is seen in a sex scandal. It's all well and good to say that it shouldn't matter, it's her life, etc, but the group is selling themselves (and giving the members a lot of money) by portraying themselves as living a certain way. It seems to be this is more of a desperate attempt to save her reputation with the generally unforgiven market, rather than something she was forced to do, as another story says she "decided to shave my head without consulting any member or staff at my agency."

In most cultures, including most of Japan's pop culture, few really care about the sex life of the individual in question or hold it against her when buying their stuff. But for this particular market this group targets, the idols sell themselves as living in a certain way, and the market they are selling to would not buy her stuff without it.

I'm kind of sad for the situation. There are other Idol groups that had had this kind of problems that haven't been so extreme.. Like the case of the member of Morning Musume, they have the same rule, but they have always done it quietly when something like this happened. Have you watched their videos? akb videos? They have a lot of reference to sexual matters, but they don't make them feel guilty at all.. the girls kiss each other and do other things on the videos, but that is not bad for them.. just sad.

If you honestly think that she wasn't forced into that by the misogynist pigs that run the
pop idol industry in Japan you're delusional. That was not 'oh I'm ashamed I'll do this (extreme thing)' that was PENANCE. It's disgusting and Japan needs to get with the 21st century and stop treating women as objects.

Re: rafa –
Debatable. I think that their love lives shouldn't be flaunted if they are selling "innocence" and "purity" but I don't think it's fair that they aren't allowed to date.. Loneliness is an awful state to be in.

Why are there people from overseas defending this? Since this happened, everyone in Japan from fans to celebrities did not agree that this should have happened so for anyone who keeps saying "this is what they do in Japan, this is tradition, etc." you are talking out of your ass

Ok, this is getting racist. Those of you in the comments that keep repeating, "Shaving your hair may seem crazy in the west, but in the East it is a great sign of apology and willingness to start anew," please stop that. That was a cultural tradition that was done AGES ago. People in modern Japan, modern China, modern Korea, do not cut their hair to atone for shit anymore. Society has evolved, and punishments such as head-shaving do not reflect their values anymore. Which is the reason why Japanese media keeps playing her clip over and over every 30 minutes, because it is NOT A NORMAL TRADITION anymore! Japanese people are appalled that she felt so much pressure and fear, that she had to resort to a pre-historic punishment, such as shaving her head to atone for being caught with a boyfriend. It may be a big deal in idol culture to be caught with a boyfriend, but the media there has seen it all before. This head shaving thing, is not normal. Please stop implying that its normal.

I understand that it could be of big shame to idols in the East to be caught in such a scandal. But honestly this girl is only human, she's meant to have a relationship at some point in her life. Being forced to NOT DATE is dumb and ridiculous, but what's even more ridiculous is the fact that when you search up this girl on google and try to find pics of her (which I did since I didn't really know who she was previous to this scandal) you will find lots of photos of her in bikini and such, which just shows proof of the way she (and most likely all memebers from her group) is marketed, in a SEXY/SEXUAL way. And now your accusing her of having a sexual life, of enjoying her sexuality, whilst a lot of people enjoy theirs with HER sexy pics? Now come on Japan! you have one of the biggest, if not THE BIGGEST porn industry in the world and this "issue" about a guy staying over a girl's(18 btw) apartment freaks ppl out? There aren't even any naked pics of videos leaked, so what is the problem? I mean c'mon! Fans need to burst their bubble and understand that they do NOT own Idols, since they're INDIVIDUALS with desires and needs. These are double standards, I can think of a lot more ppl in this world who should shave their heads out of shame and this girl is NOT one of them. In the end I feel so sorry for her, I hope she finds a way and not looses herself trying to please others whilst neglecting who she is and what she wants and needs in her life. Fame is a b!tc#.
PEACE!

The fact that anyone has made her feel this way, has made her come to a place where she felt she needed to shave her head, that is very concerning to me. Whether it is a cultural thing, or just a management thing, IDK but it's simply not ok. I truly hope this is the extent of her expression of shame and that she doesn't resort to anything harmful as a result of whatever treatment she may be receiving from fans or her employers. My heart goes out to her.

Re: Bekachu – Not about the sex. It's about inadherence to mutually binding rules in Confucianist societies. That was the dishonorable part. She knew as a founding member she was supposed to set be a steadfast role model for the younger girls. She broke her contract with a management team which had adhered to their end of the contract, thus she deserves the contractually mandated penalty of demotion. Shaving her head was not an act of contrition; Minami is attempting to publicly embarrass her management team into dropping the no "dating" clause from future contracts.

Im actually amazed that this poor girl had a contract that said she couldnt engaged in sexual activities (or have a life) when in Japan porn actresses are very well treated and even respected in a way that they dont see them as a Jenna Jameson in the west but more just like a typical actress. Some of them are even very well known models and appear in several tv shows. Including magazines likes Ageha is full of models who once were strippers or are single mothers and lots of articles are dedicated to sex and what the girls think about that, many are even known for their sexual encounters.
In a way, I think theres more to the story that we might not know and the other side I think is a ridiculous thing to do such a contract and treat these girls as if they were dolls manipulating them all the time in order to cash money, because thats the true. These idols are created ALL the time in orient and is kind of sad how fast their careers finish too.

Re: Annoyed – I completely agree with what you said. Many idols and models in there are PAYED to publish in blogs about their private life, and when I say private life includes their sexcapades and such. Japanese people dont really feel alarmed by these things. I think the girl just felt pushed and helpless and needed to either vent her frustration and the need for a change form such ridiculous contract.

I just want to point out that dating at all is usually not allowed for men or women who are in the media in a lot of Asian countries. It's in their contracts. I don't think shaving her head was really due to her gender either as there are cases of men public figures who have shaved their heads as a sign of apology.

Re: someguy2621 –
Comparing this to KSpew cheating on her boyfriend? LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

She was caught out cheating on her boyfriend with a MARRIED MAN. This chick was not actually caught doing anything other than leave a house with a disguise on. Everything relating to this girl having sex is NOT CONFIRMED.

That's what makes this so gross - that to appeal to the group's small, yet financially heavyweight leigon of "creeper fans" who masturbate furiously to them, the agency demoted her and made this happen. There are heaps of regular fans who just like the music, unfortunately their buying power can't reach the cray-cray levels of the creeper fans who cause bullshit like this to fly in Japan's idol culture.

I think that the video was unnecessary considering the fact that it was her own life; however, I have so much respect for her for doing this. Because she put her own pride she had left and feelings into the video and made sure that her fans would know that she had deep regret for what she had done. I think she should be a true idol and star because of how much respect she has for her band mates and how much she cares for her fans. I think that the rules should be changed and the stars should feel free to love and date who they pleased.

I feel sorry for her. This is one of the reason why I cringe when it comes to jpop and kpop rules. I mean it might work if the idol they have is 12-15 (or whatever counts as a kid in japan) but to restrict older idols who are now woman is depressing. Everyone yearns for a company/relationship..

Also I don't know why but are the fans in japan so immature as to hate their favorite idol just because she end up having a relationship. I do hope she get her life back and stay as an idol. I mean Britney went ballistics as well but she did get back on the spotlight.

When she frowns and cries, you can see the mind control brain implant she has between her eyebrows. I bet the little voice inside of it cued her up before she even hit record, alllll the way up to the end.